The second edition of the Rawle Toney 3×3 Basketball Classic has been officially confirmed for February 19th-20th at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
This was disclosed by an official release from the tournament coordinator and organizer yesterday. According to the release, the event resumes following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be launched December 10th at the playing venue.
Some 16 teams are penciled to compete, with the eventual victor pocketing $600,000. Pitbulls 3.0, which is the quartet of Ryan Stephney, Jermaine Slater, Ryan Gullen and Travis Belgrave, won the inaugural tournament, defeating Team Smooth 22-12 in the final at the Burnham Court.
Toney explained, “I’m very excited to announce the return of the tournament, especially taking into consideration the development of 3X3 basketball since I would’ve hosted the inaugural event in November of 2019. 3X3 basketball is now an Olympic sport and made its debut at the 32nd Olympiad. We would’ve seen FIBA placing more emphasis on it as well, so it was only right that we do the same in Guyana, to not only entice players in and out of Guyana, but fans as well.”
According to Toney, the competition has received endorsement from the world governing body FIBA, as well as local authority GABF, who will be responsible for the technical aspects, adding that players can utilize the former’s platform to register and create their respective profiles. He added, “Some countries from the Caribbean are also showing interest in participating next year because, as it stands, participation at FIBA-endorsed tournaments would give the players and the country points, which are added to their FIBA Rankings. This helps in the country’s placing in the draw for major tournaments.”
According to Toney, “The entire tournament is being put together with COVID-19 in mind. While the country’s figures in terms of vaccination seem promising, we have to take into consideration that the world is still battling the coronavirus and so we will be responsible to ensure that everyone follows all the protocols that will be set-out by the Task Force.”
He revealed that while the format is typically contested outdoors, the decision to stage the competition at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall is to ensure the safety of the participants and spectators in what will be a controlled space. Additional details of the event will be divulged at the official launch.
